The Heart Shaped Tree
by iloveromance
Summary: Shaken by the realization that love wasn't what she expected it to be, Daphne runs away and finds herself in a place filled with nothing but love. Inspired by a scene in "The Nightmare Before Christmas"


_**A/N: The Idea for this story came from a brief scene in "The Nightmare Before Christmas". No knowledge of that movie is necessary.**_

Never before had she cried so hard or trembled so badly. Her life and her world as she knew it were gone, replaced with the harsh reality that things were never what they seem. She thought she knew what love was, thought she had found a love that would last a lifetime when she found herself falling for Niles Crane. But she had no idea how wrong she was. The love she felt and the love that she tried so hard to give shattered before her eyes like glass, leaving a pain so great that it was hard to breathe. She couldn't face Niles any longer. And so, when she found herself alone at their lavish apartment at the Montana, she opened the door and ran.

She ran onto the sidewalk and down the street, ignoring everyone and anything in her path. The further she ran from the Montana, the more relieved she felt. She wanted to get as far away from Seattle and Niles as possible. Nothing mattered any longer, for love was nothing but an emotion that brought pain and unhappiness.

She was exhausted beyond belief by the time she reached the street, but she couldn't stop running. She was prepared to run all night, but as the grey February sky began to change into a rainbow of colors; a brilliant and beautiful sunset, she knew that nightfall was near. The gorgeous sunset guided her down all kinds of paths even though she had no idea where she was heading. But in all honesty, she didn't really care.

It wasn't long before the sky began to turn purple, signaling that it would soon be dark. The thought of being alone in the darkness made her pulse quicken. But she was brave, or so she had been told. And yet even the bravest people knew better than to run through an unfamiliar area in total darkness.  
Where was she, anyway? Was she even still in Washington State? She had no idea, but she kept on running. That is, until the sky became so dark that it was almost impossible to see. She slowed her pace and stopped to catch her breath. She must have run a hundred miles by then. She was far, far away from Seattle and Niles and there was no chance of him finding her here, wherever "here" was.

She sat down next to a tree and nodded off. But it seemed like she'd been asleep for no time at all when she opened her eyes. She gasped as she looked around. She was in a forest. Slowly she got to her feet and began to look around. This was no ordinary forest, not by any means. She walked past tree after tree and when she reached the center she spun around, unable to believe what she was seeing. Each tree had a different symbol; symbols, she realized that represented a holiday. There was a Christmas Tree for Christmas, A turkey for Thanksgiving, a Shamrock for St Patrick's Day, and Easter egg for Easter. But it was the one in the center that caught her eye.

A large red heart was painted on the front, complete with a doorknob. Below it, sat a circular box tied with a red ribbon. Curious, she moved closer and began to untie the ribbon. It fell away from the box as though begging to be unwrapped. However, as she tugged on the box, it refused to budge. She tugged and tugged until she was weary and decided to give up. No present was worth so much effort. But she couldn't turn her attention away from the heart shaped door. Where did it lead? What was inside?  
There was only one way to find out.

Carefully she stepped on the circular box and did her best to balance herself. But just as she reached for the gold doorknob, the door flew open. The movement surprised her so much that she began to teeter and totter. And suddenly she felt herself falling, tumbling and floating, just like Alice in Wonderland.  
She wasn't sure how far she fell or exactly what was happening. She opened her eyes just in time to realize that she was about to hit the concrete street and she braced herself for the impact. But the impact, when it came, was as soft as a blanket. How was that possible?

She rose to her feet and began to look around. Where was she? Not in Seattle, that was certain. But she was in a city, or a town. It was a place she'd never been to before, worlds away from Washington State and even Manchester. And then she saw the huge sign that hung in the center of a park of some sort.  
_Valentine Town_

Her eyebrows rose with curiosity and she decided to take a look around. But everywhere she looked, she saw something strange. Every store was seeing things for Valentine's Day, with a sign saying that they sold things for Valentine's Day all year long. There were lingerie shops on almost every corner, along with flower shops , jewelry shops and candy shops. People were hurrying in and out of the stores carrying bouquets of flowers, boxes of candy and tiny bags from the jewelry shop.

The coffee shops were filled with nothing but couples who kissed over cups of coffee, and pastries. People kissed on the street, held hands while waiting for the bus, and she suspected their hands remained around each other's as they rode to their destinations. And when they had to part, she knew that they would kiss once more.  
The thought brought tears to her eyes and soon she was sobbing. Why did love have to be so complicated, and what was she doing here, in this town that was filled with nothing but love?

"Are you all right, Miss?"

She whirled around, surprised to see a kind face, a woman, smiling at her.

"What? Oh, I…"

"Did you just come from seeing "How Do I Love Thee?"

"I-I don't…."

"It's a wonderful film, isn't it? And it's only a dollar! What a bargain! And right before Valentine's Day, too!"

"I-I don't have a-."

The woman opened her purse and removed some money, handing it to Daphne. "Here you are, dear. Go and see it. My treat."

"No, I couldn't possibly-."

"Please, take it, I insist."

Daphne smiled. "That's very kind of you. Thank you."

"Have a good day and enjoy the show."

She watched until the woman was out of sight and then stared at the money in her hands. She couldn't help but notice the steady stream of people who were making their way into the movie theatre. With a sigh she decided to join them. After all, she had nothing else to do. But as she made her way to the ticket booth, she noticed the huge list of movies that were playing. Some she'd seen a million times over, like "Sleepless in Seattle" and "The Clock", but others she'd never heard of, like the movie the woman mentioned. "How Do I Love Thee?" Every movie was a romance of some sort. This was certainly odd, but in a nice sort of way.

As she got ready to pay for her ticket she looked at the ticket booth attendant. "Excuse me, is this a good movie? How Do I Love Thee?"

The attendant sighed dreamily. "Oh yes. I've seen it more times than I can count. And I cry every time."

Daphne nodded. "Thank you."

After she paid for her ticket and went inside, she found the theatre easily. Just as she sat down, the lights began to dim.

The movie began and Daphne found that she couldn't take her eyes off of the screen. The storyline was mesmerizing and she was swept up in it. The handsome leading man and the beautiful leading lady. The story, oddly enough mirrored her life and her life with Niles almost exactly. How was that possible?

When it was over, she could barely see the screen for her tears, but she wasn't the only one. The couples that walked out of the theater had their arms around each other, and the men were consoling the women. Sometimes it was the opposite. It had been a very long time since Daphne had seen a man cry over a movie. Niles certainly didn't.

Niles….

She'd barely gotten out of the theatre when she spotted a bench. She sat down upon it and began to cry harder. She cried until she was spent.

"Oh Niles, I love you so much and I'm sorry that our life together isn't what you had hoped. It's not what I had hoped either, but I can't imagine it any other way. You're the person I want to spend my life with and you're my best friend! I love you more than words can say."

"I love you too, my angel. And please don't blame yourself. The fault is mine."

When a pair of lips brushed against her cheek, she slowly she lifted her head and opened her eyes, gasping at the sight.

"Niles…"

His hand gently caressed her hair and he smiled. "Yes, my love. I'm here."

"But-but how…"

"You were having a dream…"

"What? No, I…" She looked around, startled to find that she wasn't in Valentine Town at all. She was at home, their home at the Montana, in their bed. And beside her was the man she loved with all her heart.

"I-I don't…"

"It's all right. I came home and noticed you were asleep. I didn't have the heart to wake you."

His words made her cry and she threw her arms around him. "I'm sorry Niles, I'm so sorry!"

He held her close; so close that she could feel his heart beating against her own, and rocked her back and forth, the way her father did when she was a young girl. It was the most wonderful feeling imaginable.

"Shhh…" He whispered gently. "Don't be sorry. You've done nothing wrong."

"I've done everything wrong, Niles! I-I didn't love you enough! I didn't trust you, or provide for you or any-."

He stopped her with a kiss.

"Niles, I-."

"Enough of that. I know we're not perfect, but that's why our love is so strong. We can get thorough anything. I'm sorry that our relationship hasn't gone the way we had planned, but-."

This time it was Daphne who stopped him with a kiss. "No…. you're wonderful. Our life… it's wonderful. I just… I didn't see it… I don't want another life, Niles. I want you…"

Their kisses turned passionate and they fell against the pillows, touching caressing and loving each other like never before. Valentine's Day was right around the corner and she vowed to get Niles something special. She knew that he would give her flowers or candy, the way he had always done, but nothing could compare to the gift he had given her that night. For he had given her the greatest gift of all. He made her believe in love again and she would never again question the emotion for as long as she lived. Real life was so much better than Valentine Town.

THE END


End file.
